The Orlando Magic crushed the Atlanta Hawks 113-81 in a one-sided showdown of the Southeast Division’s top two teams on Saturday.
The Magic blew out the Hawks with a 37-point second-quarter performance to snap a four-game losing streak and stretch their division lead to one and a half games.
J.J. Redick scored 17 points starting for injured guard Vince Carter, sparking an 11-0 run in the second quarter that led to a 66-37 halftime lead.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Redick earned the start when Carter missed the game with a sprained left shoulder.
Seven players wound up in double figures for the Magic, who shot 52.4 percent from the floor and led by 38 points in the third.
Matt Barnes had 18 points and Ryan Anderson 16 to lead Orlando.
So one-sided was the score that Magic center Dwight Howard sat out the fourth quarter, finishing with 12 points.
Center Al Horford topped Atlanta with 14 points.
■KINGS 102, NUGGETS 100
AFP, SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA
The Sacramento Kings snapped a five-game losing streak in dramatic style on Saturday when Tyreke Evans hit a jump shot with 0.7 seconds left for a 102-100 victory over Denver.
Evans scored 27 points and his winning basket over Kenyon Martin closed a back-and-forth final period that saw a slew of lead changes.
Denver’s J.R. Smith missed a heave from three-point range at the buzzer. Smith had scored 10 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter.
Chauncey Billups had 27 points for Denver and made a three-pointer that tied the score at 100-100 with 11 seconds left.
Martin had 20 points and 10 rebounds for Denver, who were without injured star Carmelo Anthony for a fifth game.
Spencer Hawes scored 17 points, Omri Casspi had 16 and Ime Udoka chipped in 12 for the Kings, who had dropped seven of their previous eight contests.
Denver trailed by one when Nene was called for an offensive foul, giving Sacramento the ball with 22 seconds to play.
The Nuggets fouled Beno Udrih, who made both free-throws to put the Kings in front 100-97, before Billups tied it up again.
Saturday’s other results:
• Jazz 111, Mavericks 93
• Rockets 105, Knicks 96
• Bobcats 89, Grizzlies 87
• Thunder 108, Pacers 102
• Bulls 110, Timberwolves 96
• 76ers 104, Pistons 94
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